Tote box



Nov. 30, 1965 D. w. PROTHEROE TOTE BOX Filed June 1, 1962 INVENTOR DONALD M PROTHEPOE A TTOIZIVEYS United States Patent O 3,220,625 TOTE BOX Donald W. Protheroe, 42S Wormwood Road, Fairficid, Conn. Filed June 1, 1962, Ser. No. 199,338 1 Claim. (Cl. 224-45) This invention relates to an improved tote box adapted for'use in carrying school materials, such as books, pads, pencils and the like.

The object of this invention is to provide a compact tote box of rectangular configuration simple in construction, capable of being handled like a brief case and yet not requiring hinged parts that must be opened and closed during use.

In short, the invention relates to an open container so designed that the contents thereof are adequately supported therein to the extent they are restrained from falling out during normal use, and yet are immediately available for removal by hand without the hand being encumbered when inserted into the narrow confines of the box.

The box may be so designed that it can be used in conjunction with a school desk such that when the box is not in use, it can be supported beneath the top of a school desk much as a drawer is supported.

These and other features of the invention will become more apparent when taken in conjunction with the disclosure and the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of the tote box provided by the invention;

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment similar to that of FIG. 1 but with other features added thereto;

FIG. 3 is illustrative of another embodiment in which the tote box is used in combination with the upper portion of a school desk; and

FIG, 4 depicts another embodiment of the invention in which the tote box is provided with runners along the sides adapted to cooperate with supporting rails beneath a desk top.

Referring to FIG. 1, I show a tote box designated generally by the numeral 1 of rectangular configuration having a full opening 2 at the top as shown. The box has a front face 3 and a back face 4 which are in parallel relationship with each other. Two parallel side panels 5 and 6 are provided rigidly connected to the side edges of the front and back faces, and a bottom 7 substantially flush and connected with the bottom edges of the side panels and the faces of the box. Means 5' and 6' are provided on side panels 5 and 6, respectively, for receiving a shoulder strap or other means for manually carrying the box.

Front face 3 of the box is configurated so that it decreases in height from near the top of side panel 5 to the other side panel 6 and terminates at a point on the edge of panel 6 intermediate the top and bottom portions of said panel, preferably at approximately the midpoint as shown.

The gradual decrease in height of front face 3 is preferably linear. The structure of this face is important in that it enables the use of a narrow tote box for carrying books and yet enables a person to insert his hand into the box without being substantially encumbered. By bringing edge 8 of face 3 down to about the midpoint of the edge of side panel 6, a side opening is provided to enable the hand to reach in and grasp even the smallest of the books 9. At the same time, the higher portion of face 3 provides adequate support for the books and other materials in the box so that they will be restrained to a large extent from falling out. Both of these advantages are made possible by the sloping design of the front face 3. In order to carry the box, an opening 10 is provided adapted to receive a persons hand.

In FIG. 2, I depict a similar tote box lying on its back face 4 but showing the addition of other features. For example, I may provide means 11 either within or outside the box for holding writing implements and/or clip holding means 12 for holding a writing pad 13 for note taking purposes. Clip holding means 12 may be fixed to either the back or front faces of the box. Additional gripping means 14 may also be provided, if desired, on front face 3.

Because of the simple rectangular configuration of the box, I find that I can use the tote box in cooperation with a school desk by adapting the box as a drawer to be slidably inserted beneath the top of the desk, with front face 3 of the box facing upwards so that when the box is drawn out, a person can easily insert his hand into the box and retrieve an article therefrom.

Such a combination is illustrated in FIG. 3 in which only the upper portion of the desk is shown, the legs supporting the upper portion being omitted for purposes of clarity. The desk comprises a top 15 having connected on its under side a pair of rails 16 and 17 having inwardly projecting shoulders 18 and 19 adapted to receive in sliding engagement therewith tote box 1 with the side portions of its back face 4 riding along the shoulders. Gripping means 10 enables sliding the box out from beneath the top of the desk. At the end of the school hour, the student can remove the box and take it with him to the next class or take it home with the contents.

If desired, the tote box may be designed with projecting side runners adapted to ride a pair of rails below the desk top. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, side runners 20 and 21 may be provided adapted to ride along rails 22 and 23 shown as dotted lines.

The tote box may be made from any conventional material of construction having sufficient rigidity for the purpose. Thus, the box may be made from Wood, including laminated Wood products such as plywood, from hard plastics, or even from metal, such as aluminum. I prefer to use plastic because it is light weight and also because it is available in a variety of colors.

While the present invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A tote box for carrying a plurality of school books, supplies and the like comprising a rectangular container having a full opening at the top thereof, a front face and a back face in parallel relationship with each other, means located adjacent said opening for manually carrying said box, two parallel side panels rigidly connected to said front and back faces, said side panels having generally sloping top surfaces, a bottom substantially flush and connected with the bottom edges of said side panels and said front and back faces, the top edge of said front face sloping substantially linearly in height from one side panel to the other and terminating at a point on the other side panel at approximately the midpoint between the top and bottom edge portions of said other side panel to define a trapezoid, the back face being substantially rectangular and extending substantially to the full height of the side panels, the sloping design of said front face permitting the hand to be easily inserted a suflicient distance into said box to conveniently grasp the smaller of different size books therein whereby the same may easily be removed.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Grange 312-240 X Bakken 312244 X Hawthorne 31210 Berthold 312-244 X Dean 22447 Jones 312-12 Straubel 312246 X Castell 312244 Forde 312-244 X Hackley 312-244 X FORETGN PATENTS of 1902 Great Britain.

15 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner. 

